Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Novoshakhtinsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Novoshakhtinsk

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $974 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,477 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,979 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Novoshakhtinsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Novoshakhtinsk are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Novoshakhtinsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.58 ₽694

23.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$38.29 ₽2,775

12.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.64 ₽409

88.83%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.33 ₽169

48.07%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.11 ₽80.5

35.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.49 ₽35.45

93.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.38 ₽99.8

119.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.58 ₽187

78.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.11 ₽80.3

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.66 ₽47.75

180.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.44 ₽104

11.81%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.73 ₽125

49.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.84 ₽785

-23.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.78 ₽347

75.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.93 ₽647

19.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.79 ₽130

46.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.82 ₽132

-18.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.99 ₽144

-3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.79 ₽202

-25.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.79 ₽57.0

135.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.70 ₽50.8

222.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.35 ₽98.0

-21.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.66 ₽47.83

65.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.96 ₽215

40.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.67 ₽555

35.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.96 ₽69.5

79.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.94 ₽141

34.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.50 ₽36.18

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.91 ₽139

63.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.33 ₽23.66

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.41 ₽464

-50.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.73 ₽53.3

73.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.9K ₽2.5M

-10.46%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$35.8K ₽2.6M

-34.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$83.0 MX$1,425

$109 ₽7,895

-23.82%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.71 MX$390

$5.91 ₽429

284.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$7.88 ₽571

273.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$35.49 ₽2,571

43.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.16 ₽374

-4.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$197 MX$3,386

$328 ₽23.8K

-39.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,015 ₽508.3K

-24.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$70.5 ₽5,105

-47.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$43.55 ₽3,156

-8.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$115 ₽8,339

-30.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$107 ₽7,729

-16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$442 ₽32.1K

116.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$309 ₽22.4K

54.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$760 ₽55.1K

116.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$514 ₽37.2K

138.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,373 ₽172.0K

65.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,866 ₽135.2K

246.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.33

-25.51%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Novoshakhtinsk: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $442 in Novoshakhtinsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Novoshakhtinsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $196 – making Novoshakhtinsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Novoshakhtinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 30%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,461 in Novoshakhtinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novoshakhtinsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $38.00 in Novoshakhtinsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novoshakhtinsk, where all-in costs run around $974, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Novoshakhtinsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novoshakhtinsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Novoshakhtinsk. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.